Method and system for weighting odds to specific gaming entities in a shared bonus event

• US 7,169,041 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2001
• Issued: 01/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Cannon, Lee E., Tessmer, Michael T., Centuori, Charlotte S., Williams, Alan D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones; Scott
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim; Andrew
• Application Number:
  US10/005,213
• Publication Number:
  US 20030104853A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,883 Days
• Field of Search: 463 12- 13, 463 16- 22, 463 25- 27, 463 40- 42, 273/138.1, 273/139, 273/141.R, 273/142.R, 273/144.R, 273/138.2, 273/138.3, 273459-461
• US Class Current: 463/16
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3216 Construction aspects of a gaming system, e.g. housing, seats, ergonomic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3267 Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards

Abstract

Methods of weighting odds in shared bonus events and gaming systems and devices configured for weighting odds in shared bonus events. A number of participations or entries by the same gaming machine or player entity may be obtained for a shared bonus event in association with play of a base or primary game, allowing the odds of winning the shared bonus event to be weighted.

Claims

1. A gaming method comprising:

receiving a wager from a player to play a primary game;

displaying an image associated with the primary game;

determining an outcome of the primary game;

determining if one qualifying activity associated with the primary game has occurred;

associating at least one entry for a shared bonus event with a gaming entity if the one qualifying activity associated with the primary game has occurred;

receiving a first input from the player to place the at least one entry with one of a set of entries for a first shared bonus event or a set of entries for a second shared bonus event;

receiving a second input from the player to initiate a selection of one of the entries from the set of entries for the first shared bonus event if the player placed the at least one entry with the set of entries for the first shared bonus event or to initiate a selection of one of the set of entries for the second shared bonus event if the player placed the at least one entry with the set of entries for the second shared bonus event;

selecting one of the entries from the set of entries for the first shared bonus event;

determining a winner of the first shared bonus event according to the one of the entries selected;

if a the second input was received from the player to initiate the selection of one of the entries from the set of entries for the first shared bonus event, then awarding a payout to the player if the player is the winner or then canceling all entries associated with just the player from the set of entries for the first shared bonus event if the player is not the winner and, at a later time, selecting another one of the entries from the set of entries for the first shared bonus event, less all entries associated with just the player;

selecting one of the entries from the set of entries for the second shared bonus event;

determining a winner of the second shared bonus event according to the one of the entries selected, and

if a the second input was received from the player to initiate the selection of one of the entries from the set of entries for the second shared bonus event, then awarding a payout to the player if the player is the winner or then canceling all entries associated with just the player from the set of entries for the second shared bonus event if the player is not the winner and, at a later time, selecting another one of the entries from the set of entries for the second shared bonus event, less all entries associated with just the player.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the selection of the one of the entries from the set of entries for the second shared bonus event occurs after the selection of the one of the entries from the set of entries for the first shared bonus event.

3. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

storing the at least one entry in association with the player.

4. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

associating the at least one entry with the gaming entity while the player is at a first gaming machine;

storing the at least one entry in association with the player; and

placing the at least one entry with one of the set of entries for the first shared bonus event and the set of entries for the second shared bonus event while the player is at a second gaming machine.

5. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

placing the at least one entry with the set of entries for the first shared bonus event; and

removing the at least one entry from the set of entries for the first shared bonus event.

6. The method according to claim 5, comprising:

placing the at least one entry with one of the set of entries for the first shared bonus event and the set of entries for the second shared bonus event at a later time.

7. The method according to claim 6, comprising:

placing the at least one entry with the set of entries for the first shared bonus event while the player is at a first gaming machine;

removing the at least one entry from the set of entries for the first shared bonus event while the player is at the first gaming machine; and

placing the at least one entry with one of the set of entries for the first shared bonus event and the set of entries for the second shared bonus event while the player is at a second gaming machine.

8. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

identifying the player uniquely; and

storing the at least one entry in association with the uniquely identified player.

9. The method according to claim 8, comprising:

storing the at least one entry in association with the uniquely identified player in a centralized location.

10. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

depositing a portion of the wager into a prize pool to be provided to the winner of one of the first shared bonus event and the second shared bonus event.

11. The method according to claim 10, comprising:

receiving another wager from the player; and

depositing a portion of the another wager into the prize pool to be provided to the winner of one of the first shared bonus event and the second shared bonus event.

12. The method according to claim 10, comprising:

receiving wagers from other players; and

depositing a portion of the wagers received from other players into the prize pool to be provided to the winner of one of the first shared bonus event and the second shared bonus event.

13. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

determining if another qualifying activity associated with the primary game has occurred;

associating at least one additional entry for the shared bonus event with the gaming entity if the another qualifying activity associated with the primary game has occurred; and

receiving another input from the player to place the at least one additional entry with one of the set of entries for the first shared bonus event and the set of entries for the second shared bonus event.

14. The method according to claim 13, comprising:

repeating the steps of determining if another qualifying activity associated with the primary game has occurred, associating at least one additional entry, and receiving another input from the player to place the at least one additional entry so long as the player is playing the primary game.

15. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

associating a plurality of entries for the shared bonus event with the gaming entity if the one qualifying activity associated with the primary game has occurred, the plurality of entries associated being proportional to the wager received.

16. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

associating a plurality of entries for the shared bonus event with the gaming entity if the one qualifying activity associated with the primary game has occurred, the plurality of entries associated being disproportionate to the wager received.

17. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

determining if qualifying activities associated with primary games played by other players have occurred;

associating entries for the shared bonus event with other gaming entities if the qualifying activities associated with the primary games played by other players have occurred;

placing a portion of the entries associated with other gaming entities with the set of entries for the first shared bonus event; and

placing a portion of the entries associated with other gaming entities with the set of entries for the second shared bonus event.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the gaming entity comprises the player.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein the gaming entity comprises a gaming machine.

20. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one qualifying activity comprises one of a predetermined time, a passage of a fixed time interval, a particular game outcome, a placement of a selected number of wagers, and a placement of the wager of a certain amount.

21. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

determining if a first shared bonus event trigger has occurred;

selecting one of the entries from the set of entries for the first shared bonus event if the first shared bonus event trigger has occurred;

determining if a second shared bonus event trigger has occurred; and

selecting one of the entries from the set of entries for the second shared bonus event if the second shared bonus event trigger has occurred.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the first shared bonus event trigger is different than the second shared bonus event trigger.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein the first and second shared bonus triggers comprise at least one of a predetermined time, a passage of a fixed time interval, a particular game outcome, a number of times a game is played, a placement of a certain wager, and a prize pool reaching a certain value.

24. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

providing a prize to the winner of at least one of the first and second shared bonus events at a gaming machine.

25. The method according to claim 24, comprising:

providing a credit amount to the winner of the at least one of the first and second shared bonus events at the gaming machine.

26. The method according to claim 24, comprising:

providing one of a token and a ticket to the winner of the at least one of the first and second shared bonus event at the gaming machine, the one of the token and the ticket being associated with a value prize.

27. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

associating a value prize with one of a player tracking account and a player tracking card of the winner of at least one of the first and second shared bonus events at a gaming machine.

28. The method according to claim 1, wherein the primary game is at least one of a reel-type game, a card game, a bingo game, a keno game, a raffle game and a lottery game.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein the primary game is a slots game.